Garage sale permit rules in Dallas (and nearby cities)

Published Oct. 21, 2026 by Spread the Word · About a 9-minute read

Planning a garage sale in Dallas? Get the permit first. Dallas requires one for every address, and code inspectors can ask to see it. The rules change once you cross a city line, though: Fort Worth says you don't need a permit, Plano only issues them to residents, and Frisco's rules are mostly about signs. Below is what each city's own website and code said when we checked on Oct. 21, 2026, with a link to every source. Where we couldn't confirm a rule, we say so. Call the city instead of guessing.

Dallas: the permit, the fee and how to apply

Who needs a permit

Every property address in Dallas city limits needs an approved permit before you put anything out for sale. Single-family homes, churches, Dallas ISD schools and residential estate sales can apply. The permit does not cover community sales, food vending, car washes or flea-market-style sales (source: City of Dallas Code Compliance, Garage Sales). If you're planning a neighborhood-wide sale, every address still needs its own permit, so ask Code Compliance first.

What it costs

The city's step-by-step instructions ask for payment only on a second permit: $25, by debit card, Visa or Mastercard (no cash, checks or money orders, and no refunds once paid). The first permit has no payment step. The count runs over 12 months, not the calendar year, and the application tells you whether you're on your first or second (source: City of Dallas permit instructions, PDF).

How to apply (online only)

1. Sign up or log in at the city's online events and permits portal, then choose Garage Sale and New Application.
2. Find your address on the map, click the dot to validate it, then click the tag icon to confirm it.
3. Pick the start date, 1 to 3 days, and your start and end times.
4. Enter the water account number from your water bill and a phone number, then upload a photo of your driver's license or ID and of the water bill.
5. Accept the acknowledgement and finish. Check your email for the approved permit, and pay the $25 if it's your second.

Estate sales need the signed contract on the estate sale company's letterhead. Church and school sales need a letter on letterhead from the church owner or the Dallas ISD administration office, with the dates, times and organizer's name, and all proceeds must go to that church or school. Those three types can take 2 to 3 business days to approve, so don't leave them to the last minute. Questions go to the city's Revenue & Collections Division at 214-671-9391.

Limits and signs

• Two sales per property in any 12 months, each up to three consecutive days.
• Sell only your own things, on your own property. Nothing bought to resell. The sale has to be inside the garage or house or on an approved surface.
• Signs: one sign up to 2 square feet on your lot, plus up to five more of up to 2 square feet each elsewhere, with the property owner's permission. None in medians or on trees or light poles. Take them all down within 24 hours after the permit ends.
• Any ad for the sale must include the street address and the dates.

Source for the limits and signs: Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.217. Keep the approved permit handy during the sale. The city says the organizer is responsible for showing it to the code inspector.

Fort Worth

Fort Worth's Code Compliance Department says the city doesn't require permits for garage sales, but asks residents to keep to no more than two a year. Zoning violations can bring a fine of up to $2,000 per offense (source: City of Fort Worth Code Compliance, Zoning Issues).

The zoning ordinance text online is older and stricter. It limits sales to the garage or patio, two per year on the same premises, up to three consecutive days, with one sign of up to 2 square feet on the property and no other signs, and it still mentions a permit (Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.402). Because the two official sources don't fully agree, call the city at 817-392-1234 before you plan, and keep signs on your own property to be safe.

Arlington

A permit is required for every sale, and it's free. Apply online and keep the emailed permit until the sale is over. You can hold three sales per residence in 12 months, each up to three consecutive days, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Apartment residents can't get their own permits, but the property manager can get one for the whole complex. One ground sign is allowed at your home (up to 4 feet tall and 8 square feet). Off-site signs go only on private property with permission, never in medians, between the sidewalk and curb, within 10 feet of the curb, within 40 feet of an intersection, or on poles or fences (source: City of Arlington garage sale guidelines). Our Arlington page has the full list.

Plano

Any advertised garage, yard, estate or rummage sale needs a permit. It's free and only issued to Plano residents. Apply online or at the Municipal Center, and display the permit for the whole sale (City of Plano garage sale permits). The limit is three sales per address and per resident each calendar year, each up to 72 consecutive hours, with at least five business days between sales. Cancel an unused permit before the sale so it doesn't count. Signs go on your own or a neighbor's private property (with permission), up to 8 square feet, and come down within 12 hours after the sale. Not between the sidewalk and street, in medians, on street corners, next to the curb, by screening walls, at subdivision entrances or anywhere in the right of way. Plano also bans parking in alleys (Plano Building Inspections info sheet). Organizing a whole-neighborhood sale in Plano? Each home still needs its own permit; our community garage sale guide walks through it.

Irving

All garage sales in Irving need a free permit, requested online, and Code Enforcement checks for permits during neighborhood visits (City of Irving). The rules on the city's garage sale permit request form:

• Two sales per calendar year per residential address. A third is a violation. Each sale can last up to three consecutive days.
• Apartment and other multifamily complexes are limited to two a year, and management has to apply.
• Signs can go in the right of way by the street only from 12:01 a.m. Thursday to 12:01 a.m. Monday. For a sale Tuesday through Thursday, signs go on private property only. Never on telephone poles, street signs, trees or center medians, and pick them up when the sale ends.
• To cancel, submit the form again and choose "cancel" before 8 a.m. on the first day of the sale.
• Sales at a business or nonprofit have special rules. Call 972-721-4829.

Garland

Garland requires a permit, with no fee. Get a permit number from Code Compliance at 972-485-6400 or through its online portal at least 24 hours before the sale (48 hours for a sale at a church, school or other institution) (City of Garland, Garage Sale Permit).

• Three sales per address per calendar year, each up to three consecutive days (holidays don't count toward the three). Sales can't run weekend after weekend.
• Sell only used household or personal items from your own property. Nothing goes on sidewalks, streets, alleys or parkways.
• Signs: up to three off-site signs, each up to 8 square feet and 5 feet tall, on private property with the owner's OK. Each sign must show the address, the sale dates and your permit number, and all of them come down by 9 p.m. on the last day. None in the right of way, in medians, or on poles, traffic signals, street signs or city trees (Garland Code of Ordinances Sec. 32.53).
• Apartment complexes can hold up to five sales a year with a permit from the city, and the merchandise must stay at least 50 feet from the street.

McKinney

Under the city's ordinance (Chapter 55, Article II), you need a valid garage sale permit, displayed during the sale. A permit is good for 10 days. Each address gets two sales per calendar year, and sales can't be held two weekends in a row. Signs are allowed on your property and on other private property with the owner's permission. Request the permit online through the city's Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal, which needs an account, or in person at the Development Services Building, 401 E. Virginia St. Questions: 469-617-4800 (City of McKinney, Garage Sales). The city's garage sale page doesn't list a fee, so confirm the cost when you apply.

Frisco

We didn't find a garage sale permit requirement or a yearly limit on the City of Frisco's website. What the city does spell out is the sign rules (City of Frisco Code Enforcement, Common Violations):

• No sign permit is needed for garage sale signs.
• Signs can go up no earlier than 6 a.m. on the Friday before the sale and must come down by 6 p.m. that Sunday. None Monday through Thursday.
• Private residential property only, with the owner's consent, placed 10 to 15 feet from the curb or street. Not on fences, poles, trees or railings, no balloons or streamers, and no decorated or sign-covered cars parked at intersections.

To confirm whether you need anything else, call Frisco Code Enforcement at 972-292-5302. Check your HOA, too. Many Frisco neighborhoods have their own rules.

Other DFW cities and unincorporated areas

Grand Prairie, Richardson, Carrollton, Mesquite, Denton and the rest each set their own rules, and we haven't checked them for this guide. Search your city's name with "code compliance garage sale," or call its non-emergency city line. If you live outside city limits, ask your county before you put up signs.

Before your sale: a quick checklist

• Get the permit (if your city needs one) a few days early, and keep it where an inspector can see it.
• Count your sales for the year so you don't go over the limit, and cancel unused permits where the city lets you.
• Check your HOA's rules and dates. A neighborhood-wide sale draws the biggest crowds; see how to run a community garage sale in Plano and Collin County.
• Plan your signs around your city's rules. Most cities ban medians, poles and the strip by the curb.
• Price everything ahead of time with our garage sale pricing guide, and work through the garage sale tips checklist for advertising and sale day.
• List the sale online by Wednesday or Thursday with the address, dates, hours and your best items. Shoppers plan their routes from the Weekend Roundup and sale maps.
• Take every sign down on time when the sale ends.

Want more shoppers to find your sale? Spread the Word writes your listing and posts it to free local sale-finder sites, calendars and community pages that fit, then emails you a proof sheet with every live link. Flat prices, all site fees included: garage or yard sale $3, estate sale $8, church, HOA or community sale $12, business event $18. We can't promise turnout, but more people will know about it. List your sale.

Quick answers

Do you need a permit for a garage sale in Dallas?

Yes. Every property in Dallas city limits needs an approved garage sale permit before anything goes out for sale. You apply online only, with your ID, a water bill and an email address.

How much is a garage sale permit in Dallas?

The City of Dallas instructions ask for payment only on a second permit: $25 by debit or credit card, with no refunds once paid. The first permit has no payment step. Permits are counted over 12 months, not by calendar year.

How many garage sales can you have a year in Dallas?

Two per property in any 12 months, each up to three consecutive days.

Do you need a permit for a garage sale in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth's Code Compliance Department says the city does not require garage sale permits, but asks residents to keep to no more than two sales a year. The zoning code text still mentions a permit, so call the city at 817-392-1234 if you want to be sure.

Part of our guide: Hosting a yard or garage sale in Dallas-Fort Worth · Garage sale tips · How to price garage sale items

Rules checked Oct. 21, 2026 against the official city sources linked above. This is general information, not legal advice. Cities change permit rules and fees, and HOAs can be stricter, so confirm with your city and your HOA before your sale.